Rwanda genocide laws 'need review for banning dissent'

Rwanda's government should review 2 laws banning the promotion of genocide ideology and sectarianism, Amnesty International says.

The campaign groups says the vague wording has enabled their misuse to criminalize dissent.

The government was widely criticized for using them to smother opposition in the run-up the elections won by President Paul Kagame this month.

Rwanda's justice minister told the BBC the Amnesty allegations were baseless.

Arrests

The laws were introduced in the aftermath of the 1994 genocide in which an estimated 800,000 Tutsi and moderate Hutus were killed in 100 days.

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Jordan amends cyber crimes law after media outcry

Jordan on Sunday approved a temporary law on cyber crimes after amending it to appease the fury of journalists who said the legislation was a means to control local news websites.

The law had initially allowed the authorities to raid and search offices from which websites are published and to access computers without prior approval from public prosecutors.

But under the new amendments approved by the government, searching such offices requires court permission and enough evidence that these places are used to commit cyber crimes, Information Minister Ali Ayed said.

Journalists have complained that one of the articles of the law banned sending or posting data on the Internet or any information system that involves defamation or contempt or slander, without defining such crimes.

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Chinese lawmakers suggest harsher penalties for drunk driving crimes

BEIJING, August 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese lawmakers Wednesday continued discussing a draft amendment to the country's Criminal Law which calls for more severe penalties for drunk driving and street racing, crimes which have been loudly criticized by the public.

With these 2 types of violations included in the draft, convicted drunk drivers might face forced labor while in detention for 1 to 6 months and be fined, if "their actions are of a vile nature."

The draft amendment was submitted on Monday to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, for its first reading.

National People's Congress Standing Committee member Qiao Chuanxiu suggested all drunk driving offense, regardless of whether it results in auto accidents, must be punished as crimes, arguing that drunk driving is, itself, an act of subjective intention and its potential social harms are considerable.

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Michael Steele: Arizona Immigration Law Doesn't Reflect Entire GOP

Republican National Committee chairman Michael Steele said today that Arizona's controversial immigration measure does not reflect the beliefs of all Republicans.

Speaking to Spanish-language television network Univision, Michael Steele said this: "The actions of one state's governor is not a reflection of an entire country, nor is it a reflection of an entire political party."

Steele's reference is to the decision by Arizona Republican governor Jan Brewer to sign the bill.

"The governor and the people of Arizona made a decision that they thought was in their best interest, and that's the beauty of a republic, that's who we are," Michael Steele added, as The Hill reports. (The Hill has posted video of the exchange, though it is overdubbed in Spanish.)

Last month a judge put on hold the most controversial aspects of the law, among them requirements that law enforcement must check a person's immigration status in certain situations and that immigrants carry their identification papers in public. 

Steele's comments are somewhat off-message from a GOP that has largely embraced the immigration measure, along with a majority of Americans. 

President Obama has criticized the measure as potentially discriminatory, and Latino leaders have suggested the GOP has "declared war on Latinos." A few Republicans have worried that while its rhetoric around immigration could help the GOP in the short term, it could alienate a key voting bloc in the long run.

Minneapolis Bridge Collapse Victims Get $52 Million Settlement

Attorneys for the victims of the bridge collapse that killed thirteen people in Minneapolis in August 2007 announced Monday that they had reached a settlement with the engineering company responsible for inspecting the bridge. In negotiations held this past weekend, San Francisco-based URS Corp. agreed to pay $52.4 million to more than 100 people who sued the company in Minnesota state court.

Monday's settlement announcement concludes 3 years of work on behalf of the victims by a 17-firm pro bono consortium led by Chris Messerly and Philip Sieff at Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi.  The I-35W bridge in Minneapolis collapsed into the Mississippi River on August 1, 2007, killing 13 people and injuring 145. The American Lawyer previously chronicled the pro bono efforts that led to the state of Minnesota creating a $36.64 million fund for victims in May 2008. PCI Corp., the construction company that was resurfacing the bridge at the time of its collapse, later settled lawsuits brought by victims for $10.15 million. From the latest settlement's proceeds, $2.268 million will go to insurance companies that previously paid workers’ compensation and property damage losses, and $1.5 million will be contributed to fund a permanent memorial to those killed in the collapse.

After a 3-day court-ordered mediation session in the URS case in February failed to produce a settlement, last weekend Hennepin County District Court Judge Deborah Hedlund brought together the parties -- including URS's insurers from London and Zurich -- for another try. They gathered Saturday in separate rooms on the 18th floor of the state courthouse for 13 hours of negotiations. When she organized the negotiations, Judge Hedlund had a motion to allow the plaintiffs to pursue punitive damages pending before her -- a development that plaintiffs assert helped propel settlement talks.

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Liquor law changes aimed at youth

Government today announced a raft of proposed changes to liquor laws, aiming to reduce harm to young people while leaving "responsible New Zealanders" free to make their own decisions about the way they drink.

The Hospitality Association said the proposed changes wouldn't make much difference and alcohol watch groups said the measures fell far short of what was needed to address New Zealand's binge-drinking culture.

But Prime Minister John Key insisted the Government was taking the problem seriously, and had adopted 126 of the Law Commission's recommendations "in some shape or form".

The changes will affect where and when alcohol can be bought and the Government is proposing splitting the purchase age - leaving it at 18 for drinking in bars, and raising it to 20 for buying alcohol in supermarkets and other outlets.

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'06 laws thrust state into immigration enforcement

Colorado has not gone as far as Arizona in enforcing immigration laws, but a series of measures passed in 2006 show this state is not afraid to get in the enforcement game.

State law requires local law-enforcement officials to report all arrestees believed to be undocumented. In domestic-violence cases, a report to immigration officials isn't made until a person is convicted.

An earlier version of the state law, Senate Bill 06-090, would have required officers to report every person they suspected was in the country illegally - precisely what the controversial Arizona law does.

Another measure passed in 2006 mandated Colorado State Patrol to have a few troopers deputized to enforce federal immigration law. The result was the 26-member Immigration Enforcement Unit, which has troopers stationed around the state, including Durango.

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Judge throws out Missouri funeral protest law

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A federal judge ruled Aug. 16 that a Missouri law banning protests at or near funerals is unconstitutional.

In 2006 Missouri passed a law prohibiting picketers within 300 feet of a memorial service. It was aimed at preventing members of Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kan., from protesting at funerals of fallen soldiers.

Demonstrations by the group, which claims that war casualties result from God's judgment of America for toleration of sins like homosexuality, have prompted several states to enact laws aimed at protecting the dignity of military funerals.

U.S. District Judge Fernando Gaitan said Missouri's law violated free-speech rights protected under the First Amendment.

Striking down the law, Gaitan said while the church's speech "may be repugnant to listeners," it is "entitled to constitutional protection."

The judge said the state failed to show "significant government interest" in restricting the church's right to protest and that if applied broadly the law "could have the effect of criminalizing speech the mourners want to hear, including speech from counter-protestors."

Arizona shelves idea of changing immigration law

PHOENIX — Arizona legislators are setting aside Gov. Jan Brewer's suggestion that lawmakers consider changing parts of the state's controversial immigration law.

Jan Brewer on July 30 floated the idea of making "tweaks" to the law shortly after a federal judge blocked implementation of numerous provisions. Legislative aides said Tuesday the idea has been shelved, at least temporarily, mainly because of the state's pending appeal to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

"Everyone agreed ... that it would have been acting in haste to act at this point," said Victor Riches, chief of staff for the House's Republican majority.

There is still a possibility that lawmakers could take up the issue in the future but nothing is in the works now, Riches added.

Jan Brewer spokesman Paul Senseman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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New Law Cracks Down On Drunk Drivers

PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. --  A new law in New York that took effect on Sunday might keep repeated drunken drivers off the roads.

A small device is expected to make a big impression on convicted drunken drivers under a provision of Leandra's Law, which requires any driver convicted of DUI to have an ignition interlock device installed on any car they drive.

"There is an additional impact upon them should they drink and drive and be convicted of that," said Clinton County District Attorney Andrew Wylie.

What's more, Andrew Wylie said the devices cost nearly $1,000 each.

"The operator -- the defendant who is charged with and convicted of the driving while intoxicated charge -- is paying for it," he added.

The device is similar to a Breathalyzer device. The driver has to blow into it, and if there is a reading of .025 or higher, the car will not start.

Big Apple Audio in Plattsburgh is one of several businesses contracted to install the ignition interlock devices, and the owner, Bill Ferris, said the devices will also require a random hourly "breath sample" while the vehicle is being operated.

"The random sample keeps everybody honest," Bill Ferris said. "You never know when you are going to have to provide a sample."

The Clinton County Department of Probation said it intends to closely monitor the results.

"We will get notified either via e-mail or through the Internet of violations and how they’re doing on the system," said David Marcoux, with the department.

The devices must be installed for at least 6 months; although, those convicted of a felony drunken driving charge may be required to have the devices in their cars for up to 5 years.